Of the Particle Chè.

There is no one word in the Italian tongue that is more frequent and more often vsed, both in speech and writing, then Chè, and that by reason of it's many, diuers, and different significations, whereof I could yet neuer see any direct exposition or Rules set downe.

And therefore haue I for your Maiesties more certainty and easie vnderstanding of it, taken some paines about it, and haue set downe the various significations thereof, as the most necessary and also most difficult word that the Italians haue.

1 Chè, is sometimes a Pronoune Relatiue, both with and without an Article hauing reference vnto all Cases, Numbers, and Genders, signifying in English, that, who, whom, which or which thing, as for example, Il Dío ch'io adóro, la bontà chè ẻ in lúi, I ciẻlí chè s'aggírano, le stélle chè risplẻndono, la tẻrra chè scálda il sóle, Ciò chè non féce mái huómo, Égli díce di volér voláre, il chè dà marauíglia ad ogniúno, Di chè ciascúno si fa bẻffe, Al chè niúno consẻnte, Da chè ogniúno si guárda, Elle dícono cófe chè fánno stupíre ogniúno, a chè niúno dà féde, Chè niúno créde, Da chè ogniúno s'allontána, &c.

2 Chè, in the Nominatiue case without signe or Article serueth for the Interrogation, What? as for example, Chè fái? Chè vai cercándo? Chè te ne páre? &c.

3 Chè, serueth often for a beginning of a Narration or entrance into it after the Preface, as thus, Díco dúnque chè chi nón téme Dío non ẻ sauio, &c.

4 Chè, serueth sometimes for a clause preceding the Present or Perfect Tence of the subiunctiue Moode, signifying in English, That, That so, as thus, Ti prégo chè il túo nemíco del túo male non rida, óchè tù non sij burláto, &c.

5 Chè, serueth very often for an Aduerbe or Coniunction of yeelding reason of what hath beene said or done before, or that may be said and done heereafter, as also for continuing of sense and discourse, or for concluding of sense and reason, and serueth in stead of Pẻrchè, Pẻrciochè, Imperochè, or Conciosia chè, in English, For, Because, or Forsomuch as thus; L'ánima ché sola da Dío ẻ fátta gentíle, chè gia d'altrúi non può venír tál grátia, &c.

6 Chè, sheweth sometimes the clause of what may happen, and serueth for Affin chè, or Accio chè, That, To the end, Left that; but then commonly it requireth Non to follow it, as for example, Non fáre, chè non te ne auuẻnga male, ẻt chè non sij punito, ẻt chè non te nè pénti, &c.

7 Chè, is sometimes doubled, and serueth for Ciascúna cósa chè, what thing soeuer, whatsoeuer, or what euer, as thus; Cheche si díca, or Cheche ne sẻgua io lo vóglio púr fáre, &c.

8 Chè, is often placed for the beginning of Narrations, or Chapters, or Verses, importing in English, For, as thus; Chè il diamánte ẻ più dúro di tútte le gẻmme, Chè il ciẻlo ẻ più dúro ch'il diamánte, Chè l'óro ẻ incorrottíbile ab etẻrno, &c.

9 Chè, is often vsed for the signe of a comparison, in English, then, or then that, as for example. Augústo fù più felice chè Césare, Il diamánte ẻ più dúro ch'il fẻrro o che l'acciáio, being most vsed thus alone when the sentence hath but one Uerbe, for if it haue more, than the Italians vse Chè non, as hath before beene declared.

10 Chè is often found to serue for the Aduerbe of time, Quándo, when, or at what time, but then the diction or sentence must beginne with any present Participle, and Chè must immediately follow the same: as for example; Leuáto che sarò mi vẻstirò, Tornáto che sarái vienmi a trouáre, &c.

11 Chè, serueth sometimes for the Aduerbe of exception, But, Sauing, Except: as for example; Io non sẻruo che una Regína, non témo che un Dío, Non ámo che una dónna, Tù non sẻi buóno chè a far mále, &c.

12 Chè, is many-many times ioined and affixed vnto other particles and indeclinables, and with them made as one word and distinct part of speech, which although they haue already beene set downe in their places among the Aduerbes and Coniunctions, yet, for your Maiesties better remembrance, I thinke it not amisse to place them heere Alphabetically, at least so many as I can remember:

And infinite others which the discretion of the Reader or Speaker may easily obserue, finde out, and make vse of. But these are the chiefest, and most in vse.

And this is as much of the immutable Particles, or indeclinable parts of speech, as I with my industrious labour, carefull diligence and long teaching haue obserued, for your Maiesty, of which if some haue beene noted in more places then one, impute it to their diuers natures and sundry significations, according to which they are diuersly placed. And if in this tract I haue not giuen the English to euery word, nor englished all phrases and examples, it hath beene for feare of making the booke ouer great, and because you may easily find euery word Englished in my Dictionary. And if notwithstanding I haue beene ouer long and tedious, impute it (I humbly beseech you) to the frequent and most necessary vse of all I haue noted: for, without the perfect knowledge of it, no man shall truly vnderstand, or perfectly speake the Italian tongue: and because I could yet neuer see these my rules and obseruations exactly set downe, or so much as but glanced at by any that hath written of that language.

Thus committing your Sacred Maiestie (for whom only I haue aduentured to declare and publish what I know, and by the experience of fiue and thirtie yeeres teaching (and euer the greatest Nobilitie of this Land) haue obserued and learned of this so noble, and of all Nations so highly esteemed language) to the euer holy protection of the most-most good and Almightie God, I heartily beseech his eternall Maiestie, in this transitorie world to blesse and prosper, and in that to come, eternally to crowne your Highnesse in his new Ierusalem: And that I may euer continue in your Imperiall Maiesties good and fauourable opinion, as your euer most vnfained, most humble and inuiolable seruant.

Resolute, I. Florio.

FINIS.

[Table of Contents ]

[Dedication] (Italian)

[Dedication] (English)

[To All Readers]

[Bibliography]

[A most copious and exact Dictionarie] in Italian and English

[Letter A]

[Letter B]

[Letter C]

[Letter D]

[Letter E]

[Letter F]

[Letter G]

[Letter H]

[Letter I]

[Letter L]

[Letter M]

[Letter N]

[Letter O]

[Letter P]

[Letter Q]

[Letter R]

[Letter S]

[Letter T]

[Letter V]

[Letter Z]

[Letter X]

[Rules for the learning of the Italian tongue]

[Of Pronounciation]

[Of the Articles]

[Of Nounes in generall]

[Of Nounes Adiectiues]

[Of Nounes proper]

[Of Comparatiues]

[Of Superlatiues]

[Of the declining of Nounes]

[Of Pronounes in generall]

[Of the Pronounes deriuatiues]

[Of Si]

[Of Ne]

[Of verbes in generall]

[Of the verb Hauére]

[Of the verb Éssere]

[Of impersonall verbes]

[Of the Auxiliare verbe Volére]

[Of the Auxiliare verbe Potére]

[Of the Auxiliare verbe Dovére]

[The true Coniugating of a regular Verbe of the first Coniugation]

[The true Coniugating of a regular Verbe of the second Coniugation]

[The true Coniugating of a regular Verbe of the third Coniugation]

[The true Coniugating of a regular Verbe of the fourth Coniugation]

[Of the chiefest Irregular verbes of the first Coniugation]

[Of the chiefest irregular verbes of the second Coniugation]

[Of the chiefe irregular Verbes of the third Coniugation]

[Of the irregular verbes of the fourth Coniugation]

[Of the Indeclinable Particles]

[Of certaine Prepositions seldome or neuer used alone]

[Interiections]

[Prepositions or Particles vsed many times for ornament]

[Of the Particle Chè]

Transcriber's Notes

All abbreviations have been expanded and placed in [brackets].

Original spelling and punctuation have been preserved as much as possible; typographical errors have been corrected where possible on the authority of the 1598 edition of the same dictionary, or based on internal predominant use. Other apparent inconsistencies have been retained as printed. Spelling variants have equally been preserved.

A few items, out of alphabetical order in the original, have been restored to proper place. All pagination errors have been corrected.

Some entries have no English translation in the original.

Cover created by Transcriber and placed into the Public Domain.